"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Someone was knocking hard on Ye Lingyuns door. This was making the little stone house shake a bit.
"Brother Ye! Get your ass out of bed, fast!" a loud voice yelled from outside.The voice was really worried. "The Sect Promotion Examination is going to start! If you don't do fast, If you do not get up fast you will have to stay in this place for another year. I'm not waiting for you!"
Ye Lingyun stopped moving for a second when he heard that voice he knew well then he opened the door. There was a man standing there . Ye Lingyun saw that he was really tall and skinny and he had a face that was smiling in a naughty way like he was thinking about something funny.
"Mouse... you're still alive?" Ye Lingyuns throat got really tight as he said this he was totally surprised.
The man is Xue Lang. One of his few "true friends" from his past life, and one of the future Ten Great Emperors who would shock the Canglan Continent. To say it simply, he had "survived" his way to becoming an Emperor. His philosophy? If you can't win, grease your feet and run! Xue Lang is really good at escaping so Ye Lingyun calls him the "Mouse" because of his escape skills.
In his previous life, when Ye Lingyun was being hunted by the "righteous" sects and pushed into a dead end, it was this fucking man who risked everything to pass him key information that could save his life .He did not even fight alongside Ye Lingyun but he still helped him when he needed it most. That debt of gratitude was something Ye Lingyun remembered for a lifetime.
Hearing Ye Lingyun's words, Xue Lang's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"I kindly come here to wake you up, and you're wishing I was dead?!!" he hollered, stretching out a hand to grab Ye Lingyun's hair.
Ye Lingyun tilted his body to dodge, casually draped an arm over Xue Lang's shoulder, and laughed to smooth things over. "Nah, I just got emotional seeing you, that's all!"
"Dammit, get away from me! Are you gay? You really do have feelings for me, don't you?!"
"Fuck off!" Ye Lingyun laughed and cursed, feigning a kick.
Xue Lang bolted toward the Sect Plaza, shouting as he ran: "Damn, hurry up! We really won't make it! This year, I'm definitely entering the Inner Sect!"
Looking at Xue Langs thin figure,, the smile in Ye Lingyuns eyes turned into a warm and friendly smile.. In the past life, Xue Lang had failed at the final hurdle and spent a whole year in regret. Since he had returned, he had to give theguy a hand.
Soon after, Ye Lingyun arrived at the examination grounds.
Looking at the surging crowd, he remembered that today was the Phoenix Sect's annual Outer-to-Inner Sect Promotion Exam. The Phoenix Sect was the guardian sect of the Divine Phoenix Empire, possessing deep foundations. An Inner Sect position was a highly coveted prize; not only did it grant access to abundant cultivation resources and core techniques, but it also offered the chance to be taken as a personal disciple by an Inner Sect Elder.
Unfortunately, the slots for the Inner Sect were very few, let alone the position of a personal disciple.
Furthermore, the core disciples of the Phoenix Sect were the Princes or Princesses of the Empire,like beings of supreme nobility. The current Sect Master was the reigning Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire himself, named Feng Yaochen!
As for Ye Lingyun's master... she was Feng Yaochen's most beloved eldest daughter, Princess Yueyao. Not only was her talent peerless, but she was also recognized as the number one beauty in the entire Canglan Continent.
Just as everything seemed to be following the script of his previous life, a voice suddenly rang out across the field.
"Elder, wait! I have something to say!"
The crowd just went crazy. Every outer disciple turned their heads toward the source of the voice. The crowd parted to reveal a youth in moon-white robes walking forward slowly. He had a handsome face, a phoenix-patterned jade pendant at his waist, and few disciples following behind him.
"Wait, isn't that Senior Brother Lin Yanchen? He's the disciple of the Seventh Elder and ranked 91st on the Inner Sect's Phoenix-Brocade List!"
"Why would someone like him come to the Outer Sect?"
The crowd began to whisper fervently. The top 100 experts were listed on the Phoenix-Brocade Lists: the top 50 on the "Phoenix List" and ranks 51-100 on the "Brocade List." Anyone on these lists was a heaven-chosen genius focused on by the sect.
'What the hell? This didn't happen in the last life. Where did this guy jump out from?' Ye Lingyun frowned and asked in his mind: "System, what's going on?"
[Host... I... I don't know either...]
"You don't know this, you don't know that. What use are you!" Ye Lingyun complained.
System: [Fine, should I just leave then?]
The person in charge of the exam today was Outer Sect Elder Wang Qingcang. He was not the powerful elder but people looked up to him because he knew so much and took care of the Library Pavilion.
Wang Qingcang's brow furrowed imperceptibly. He felt a flash of displeasure, but given the status of Lin Yanchen's master, he couldn't easily offend him. He controlled his anger and asked:
"Lin Yanchen, the promotion exam is about to begin. This concerns the future of hundreds of disciples. You should know its weight. Can whatever you have to say wait until after the exam?"
Lin Yanchen bowed slightly and spoke: "Elder, I have a grave matter to report that cannot be delayed. Please forgive my intrusion!"
"A few months ago, I happened to obtain a Mystic Spirit Pill."
That single sentence was like a thunderclap. The whole crowd gasped at the time.
"A Mystic Spirit Pill?!" "What the hell! That's a supreme treasure that can cause one's cultivation to skyrocket! Even Golden Core experts would fight to the death for it!"
A cold smirk was on Lin Yanchens lips. He scanned the agitated crowd and continued, his voice amplified with a fake sense of grief:
"But three days ago, that pill was stolen by a thief!"
"What!?" Wang Qingcang's expression changed drastically. He knew the value of that pill. He hurriedly asked: "Do you already have a clue about the pill?"
"Indeed!" Lin Yanchen replied firmly. "One of my junior brothers saw a disciple in outer sect clothing sneaking out of my courtyard three days ago."
He then changed his tone: "However, Elder, don't worry. I took precautions long ago and placed a tracking spell on the pill. Since all outer disciples are gathered here today,I think it is the perfect time to catch that rat and restore the sect's integrity!"
Seeing Wang Qingcang remain silent in thought, Lin Yanchen immediately turned to the disciple behind him. The disciple stepped forward, holding a bronze compass with a dim crystal in the center. He injected a strand of spiritual energy into it.
Buzz—
A sharp red light erupted from the crystal. The needle, which had been still, began to spin violently. It grew faster and faster until
THUD!
It stopped dead, pointing directly at a certain spot in the crowd!